Playing in the Rain
by WardenN7
Summary: Hide's late, Kaneki's worried, and his best friend has forgotten his umbrella. HideKane.


Kaneki Ken was sitting by a bus station, foot tapping impatiently on the sidewalk, as if that would help Hide get to their chosen meet-up destination faster. It was raining – not too hard, but enough to call for an umbrella, and he shivered softly despite the sweater he was wearing. He had never been much of a fan of the cold anyways, and while Winter had not yet come, he always found himself shivering when it was raining.

_What's taking Hide so long? _Normally Hide would send Kaneki a text if he was running late; he knew Kaneki was prone to worrying, and didn't want to cause him too much stress, but Kaneki had received no text, and he wouldn't lie to himself by saying that he wasn't worried for his friend. Hide was normally quite punctual, he knew, and it only served to stress him out further.

"_Kaneki!" _a voice yelled out, and Kaneki snapped around to its source. There came Hide, running toward his best friend, hair amok, mismatched clothes, and absolutely no umbrella.

Hide let out a boisterous laugh, throwing an arm around Kaneki's neck, and Kaneki buckled under the weight of it for a moment. He quickly regained his balance and looked to Hide, eyes wide with worry.

"Hide, where have you been?! We agreed that we'd meet here at noon, but you're almost late by an entire hour!"

"Hehe, yeah, well, about that," Hide chuckled uncomfortably, running a hand through his messy hair. "I kinda stayed up later than I should have, and I slept in for a bit." After seeing Kaneki's frustrated look, he quickly continued with, "I didn't mean it, though! I had an alarm set and everything, but I must have slept through it! I didn't mean to leave you out here in the rain."

Kaneki gasped when Hide mention the rain. "Hide, you don't even have an umbrella with you! You're getting soaked!"

"Yeah, sorta, but once when we catch the bus it shouldn't be to big of a deal, no worries."

"Hide," Kaneki said in the sternest voice he was capable of. "You'll catch a cold."

"What? But I'm not even that cold! I'm actually pretty warm from all that running, don't you think it might cancel it out or something?"

"I...don't think it works like that, Hide."

"Well it should."

Kaneki stared at Hide for a couple of moments before quickly shaking his head. He took a few steps back from Hide and stared at him in accusation.

"I know what you're trying to do, you know! Don't try to distract me from our current conversation, Hide!"

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Kaneki. I am an innocent man. Oh, look, is that a flying book?"

Kaneki stared at Hide, more than unimpressed. "Ha. Ha. Ha. I can see you shivering, you know."

Hide's eyes squinted in laughter, and he had to duck his head for a moment. "Sorry about that, Kaneki. I – _pfft _– please forgive me."

Kaneki turned the other way, a small frown making its way to his face, but Hide could have sworn he saw a glint of playfulness in his eyes as well.

"I was going to offer to share my umbrella with you, but I see how it is. I just won't even bother from now on."

Hide gasped dramatically and fell to his knees, clutching at Kaneki's hand as if his life depended on it, and he was silently very pleased when Kaneki blushed.

"Kaneki, no...please...I know that I am not worthy of your forgiveness, but I beg of you! Please, Kaneki Ken, spare me! I will do anything."

Kaneki willed the heat in his cheeks to vanish as he replied. "Hmm...you have to buy my lunch for me!"

Hide grinned one of his big grins – the ones he got only around Kaneki, when he was truly comfortable and happy, and it always, _always _filled Kaneki with warmth, even now. Kaneki smiled back, and he thought for a moment, as he stared at Hide with his smile like sunshine, that he could stay in this spot forever, never to move again, as long as it was just him and Hide. The thought of it made Kaneki's smile grow larger.

Alas, most good things had to come to an end at some point. Hide let go of his hand, and placed his arm around Kaneki's shoulders again, letting loose an airy laugh. Kaneki's hands twitched in the sudden coldness.

"Of course I'll pay for your lunch! It's the least that I, Nagachika Hideyoshi, could do for you! Now let's go, because I'm starving. I forgot to eat breakfast you know!"

"It sounds like a real nightmare, Hide."

And as the they walked together, sharing an umbrella that was much too small to fit two people under it, Kaneki thought that even if that good moment ended, it didn't matter, because as long as Hide was with him, he knew that they'd have plenty more.


End file.
